Lamb shanks in mulberry braise

Ingredients:

2 medium-sized lamb shanks

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 Tb goose fat (or bacon fat)

1 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 carrot, thinly sliced

2 cups of mulberry juice (can be substituted with blueberry juice)

1 cup of dry red wine

3 sprigs of thyme

10 juniper berries

Heat up a large cast-iron pot on the stove and melt some goose fat inside. While the pot is heating, sprinkle lamb shanks with salt on all sides. Once the fat in the pot is nice and hot, brown the shanks on high heat all over. Remove from pot and set aside. Turn the flame down to medium heat and saute diced onions until translucent. Then add the minced garlic and carrot slices. Deglaze the bottom of the pot with red wine, making sure to scrape up all the little bits that are stuck to the pot. Return lamb shanks to the pot and add mulberry juice to it. The braising liquid should cover most of the meat, add some water if this is not the case. Add salt, juniper berries, pepper and thyme. Bring to a boil. Cover the pot and turn down the flame to medium low. Let simmer for two and half to three hours, stirring occasionally.

The lamb shanks are finished braising when the meat is falling off the bone. Take the meat out of the pot and wrap in tin foil. Strain the remaining braising liquid. The sauce should have the consistency of a thin gravy, if it’s too thin you can thicken the sauce with a little bit of flour.

Serve with potatoes, Spätzle or Semmelknödel.

Bavarian bread dumplings (Semmelknödel)

To read about how we raised the lamb and grew all the vegetables used in this dish click here: All good things come in time: the story of a meal (Part 4)